Over the weekend, a headline caught our eye — “Iranian Commander: We have targets within America.” Inflated hyperbole is nothing new for the Iranian regime; but this story, and the trend it underscores, should be a powerful wakeup call for every freedom-loving and security-minded American: Not only is Iran not our friend, but their senior-most leadership remains committed to confronting — and killing — Americans.

In a televised interview, the top commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, General Hossein Salami, went on to say:

America, with its strategic ignorance, does not have a full understanding of the power of the Islamic Republic. We have recognized America’s military strategy, and have arranged our abilities, and have identified centers in America [for attack] that will create a shock… We will conduct such a blow in which they [America] will be destroyed from within.

This threat feels like an abstraction to most Americans — another headline, another rambling speech, another vague threat based on an abstract enemy. Maybe it is. Maybe they’re just bluffing. Or, maybe, they mean what they say. With their backs against the wall, yet dangerously close to nuclear capability, the Iranian regime is at a strategic tipping point. All options are on the table for them, including a preemptive or, more likely, reactive strike against American targets abroad and at home.

We may be sitting at the negotiating table with Tehran, but while we cross our fingers and hope they’ll act in good faith, the Iranian regime has other plans. Their nuclear centrifuges are still spinning and, based on the above statement and their actions around the world, Iranian eyes are still trained on their avowed enemies: the United States, Israel, and the West.

We know Hezbollah, the top Iranian military proxy, has the capability to strike American and allied targets in the Middle East. That fact is not disputed. But the threats outlined above are also against the U.S. homeland. Does Iran have the sleeper-cell capacity inside America to strike? Many believe they do, and that should be cause for great concern. Of even greater concern — in terms of size and scope — would be the use of a nuclear device, even a crude one, detonated above the United States. (If you haven’t encountered this possibility, watch here.)

These realities, and much more, will be discussed at an event that both of us will be speaking at on Thursday, February 6, in Washington, D.C.

Sponsored by EMPact America and the Reserve Officers Association, the “American Security and the Iranian Bomb” event will feature a panel discussion with Senator Ted Cruz (R., Texas), Ambassador and former CIA director R. James Woolsey, and more. If you’re in D.C. tomorrow, we hope you’ll attend this free event.

As veterans of the Iraq war, we both bore witness to Iranian-backed fighters targeting Americans, too often with deadly effect. Of course the attacks we saw are merely the latest in a decade-long rap sheet — with U.S. troops, diplomats, and civilians trained in the Iranian cross-hairs.

Nuclear deal or no deal, the Iranian threat is real and needs to be addressed. We hope you’ll join us tomorrow to discuss it.